Sacred World: Spiritual and Ecological Writings of Jane Hirshfield and David Hinton with Jerry Webster

Lifelong Learning Logo Course Title: Sacred World: Spiritual and Ecological Writings of Jane Hirshfield and David Hinton with Jerry Webster

Instructor: Jerry Webster, PhD

Brought to you by Odyssey

February 4, 2026 - March 4, 2026 (5 Sessions)

Wednesday, 6:30PM ET - 8:30PM ET

Virtual via Zoom

Course Description: How can ancient Eastern philosophy help us see and live more deeply in the modern world? This course explores the luminous works of Jane Hirshfield and David Hinton, two writers whose poetry and prose arise from decades of Zen and Taoist practice. Through guided meditation, close reading, and reflective writing, we’ll experience how awareness, simplicity, and nature interweave to form what Zen calls “The Gateless Gate”—a landscape of insight and mystery.

Readings include Hirshfield’s Ledger: Poems (2020), Hinton’s Hunger Mountain: A Field Guide to Mind and Landscape (2012), and Orient: Two Walks at the Edge of the Human (2025). Explore how poetic attention and meditative awareness dissolve the boundaries between self, landscape, and language.

*Top Rated Instructor*

Explore more lifelong learning opportunities in our full SPRING 2026 Odyssey Catalog

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Johns Hopkins Tuition Remission Policies

Tuition benefits are available to University faculty, staff, and retirees only. Employees of Johns Hopkins Hospital, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, or the Applied Physics Laboratory should contact your institution’s Human Resources office for information about tuition remission and eligibility:

Johns Hopkins Hospitals and Medical Institutions: https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/human-resources/benefits/tuition-assistance
Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory: https://www.jhuapl.edu/careers/professional-development

Select the correct ticket pricing during registration. If we cannot confirm your university eligibility, you will be requested to pay the full registration price for each course. Complete eligibility details can be found here.

Withdrawals & Refunds:

If a course is canceled or closed, the registrant is notified immediately, and a full refund is processed automatically unless another course is requested. Registrants who wish to withdraw from an active course must complete the online Odyssey Refund Request Form. Attach any documentation to support your request (e.g., medical documentation, family crisis documentation, etc.).

100% refund: Prior to the start of the course and after the first class.
No refunds: After the first week of each course unless in exceptional cases.

For single-session courses:
100% refundable within two (2) business days of the event.

Please note, refunds apply only to the tuition portion of an Odyssey participant’s charges and are not applicable to any fees or gifts made to the Johns Hopkins Alumni Association. Registrants will be notified by email if a refund is approved within five (5) business days.

ABOUT Jerry Webster

Jerry Webster, Ph. D., (Curriculum and Instruction, University of Maryland) has taught numerous courses in literature for the U. of MD. and in multiculturalism for Montgomery County Public Schools (MD). He has taught English full-time in public school systems for forty years. He served as the Shastri, or head teacher, for the Shambhala Buddhist Center in Washington, D.C. for 10 years until he retired in 2020. He teaches regularly for the Johns Hopkins Odyssey Program, as well as the D. C. Politics & Prose Bookstore, the Frederick Community College ILR Program, and the Baltimore Shambhala Buddhist Center.

Event Date
Starts:
Wednesday, February 4, 2026
6:30pm EST

Ends:
Wednesday, March 4, 2026
8:30pm EST

Contact
Odyssey
Alumni Relations Lifelong Learning
1-800-JHU-JHU1 (548-5481)
odyssey@jhu.edu

Ticket Options

	General Registration	$
	JHU Alumni (all divisions) 50% discount. Alumni status will be confirmed.	$
	Johns Hopkins University Faculty, Staff, or Retiree 80% discount. Status of university employment will be confirmed.	$
	Johns Hopkins University Spouse or Domestic Partner 50% discount. Employment status of Spouse/Domestic Partner will be confirmed.	$

Registration Information

Select your registration type

General Registration ($250.00)

JHU Alumni (all divisions) ($125.00)

Johns Hopkins University Faculty, Staff, or Retiree ($50.00)

Johns Hopkins University Spouse or Domestic Partner ($125.00)

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